BEHIND THE CRAFT
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Behind the Craft - 2024 Guinea

At the height of The East India Company’s trade in the East, the Guinea remained the official currency, underpinning much of Britain’s growth and influence in the colonies. Just as the Sovereign was later to reign at home, so the Guinea dominated the Golden Age of the Colonies. Crafted once again to the highest quality the Guinea is once again at the heart of The East India Company.

Trusted for its purity and reliability by nations of merchants as they explored the new world searching for new and exotic treasures, the Guinea symbolised the growth of the British Empire in the aftermath of the Restoration of the Monarchy and came to characterise the wealth of the nation.

FG24GUIGPONE-21

2024 The East India Company Guinea Gold Proof Coin-SOLD OUT

ONLY 100 COINS WORLDWIDE
Shipping from 3rd of May

With a history dating back to the 17th Century, the Guinea continues, reborn for the 21st Century and unrivalled for it's accuracy and beauty.

The East India Company - Collections

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Taking its inspiration from over 150 years of Guinea coins this 2024 dated Guinea features a central motif of the Standing Lion, Rampant Guardant, representing the Defender of the Crown. The lion's foot rests upon a globe, denoting it central role as Britain's most trusted gold coin, travelling the world on merchant ships. The lion stands on the shield of St George behind which are two Cruciform Sceptres.

Surrounding the shield are tea and cotton leaves demonstrating their importance of these commodities and reflecting its long connection to The East India Company's history. In tribute the Guinea's role as the first British milled coin which contirbuted to its reputation of trust, each coin is finished with a bespoke 'compass milling'. On the edge of each 2024 Guinea coin, four sets of 13 mills can be found representing a total 52 mills, one for each week of the year, finished with a single mill at the compass point to denote navigation.
• A 21st Century Guinea design inspired by the historic Guinea designs of the past
• Official obverse portrait of His Majesty King Charles III
• Strictly limited edition of 100 coins worldwide
• 8.4g of gleaming 22 carat gold
• Exact specification of the original golden Guinea

Product Detail

Taking its inspiration from over 150 years of Guinea coins this 2024 dated Guinea features a central motif of the Standing Lion, Rampant Guardant, representing the Defender of the Crown. The lion's foot rests upon a globe, denoting it central role as Britain's most trusted gold coin, travelling the world on merchant ships. The lion stands on the shield of St George behind which are two Cruciform Sceptres.

Surrounding the shield are tea and cotton leaves demonstrating their importance of these commodities and reflecting its long connection to The East India Company's history. In tribute the Guinea's role as the first British milled coin which contirbuted to its reputation of trust, each coin is finished with a bespoke 'compass milling'. On the edge of each 2024 Guinea coin, four sets of 13 mills can be found representing a total 52 mills, one for each week of the year, finished with a single mill at the compass point to denote navigation.
• A 21st Century Guinea design inspired by the historic Guinea designs of the past
• Official obverse portrait of His Majesty King Charles III
• Strictly limited edition of 100 coins worldwide
• 8.4g of gleaming 22 carat gold
• Exact specification of the original golden Guinea

Specification

  • Alloy

    22K Gold - 916.7Au

  • Denomination

    £1

  • Weight

    8.4g

  • Authority

    St. Helena

  • Diameter

    26mm

  • Edge

    Milled

  • Issue limit

    100

  • Total Mintage

    100

Stories

The Golden Age of the Guinea

The introduction of machine-struck coins to Britain in 1663 put an end to the dark art of ‘clipping’, where criminals would shave the edges off coins to collect small fragments of the precious metals, devaluing the currency in the process. Now, gold and silver coins could be minted with a milled edge and edge lettering deterring this illegal practice and transforming the countries faith in its currency.
Britain’s first machine-struck gold coin, the Guinea, played a vital role in the golden age of trade and exploration, travelling the world on The East India Company's ships adn creating an international reputation for absolute quality and accuracy.

‘Guinea’ was originally just the coin’s nickname, given because much of the gold used to strike it came from Africa’s Guinea Coast, but the name became so widely used that it was officially adopted in 1720 under the reign of King George I. In later years The East India Company often supplied the gold used to mint these magnificent coins.

The 2024 Guinea’s reverse design is split into quarters by crossed sceptres, much like the first Guineas struck during the reign of Charles II, with a lion ‘rampant guardant’, inspired by the historic East India Company Crest, at its heart.

The obverse features the official portrait of His Majesty King Charles III, while the milled edge is marked by a single mill at each compass point to represent the discovery and adventure that lies at the heart of the Guinea’s story.

  • FAQ

    What is the difference between maximum mintage and issue limit?
    Maximum mintage is the total number of individuals coins which will be struck, this includes coins presented is sets. The Issue limit refers to the number of coins which will be sold in the specific presentation.

    What if the maximum mintage and issue limit is the same?
    This means the coin will only be available in the presentation shown and will not be issued in any other way.

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